Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-01
Expert SwindIer, Forger, Iacendiary,
Robber and Murderer, He ia Brought to
Light by One of His Victims.

bank. That is not true, and is the
very reason the case will not be dropped.
Months ago hissane communicated with
US on the subject and tried to have US
withdraw our opposition. Until that
/ time we had no idea what had become of
him. Now we shall insist on the return
of the money due US.
"New details of the life of Billy Kfssane
are coming to the surface daily. Way
back in the tifties there was organized in
this city an extensive gang of men who
had reduced the forging of wealthy mems
names to a science, and who for long
! time made the opening of bank accounts
very risky means of saving money.
! These rasCals were to the last degree
adroit and clever in their manner
of working, and long defied the law.
| After thousands of dollars had been gath
cred into their joint treasury, however,
three of the forgers, and two of them hap
pened to be chief cOnspirstOTs, did a liz
tie piece of work in November, 1854, which
was clever, bat not quite clever enough,
and they were gathered into the
meshes Of q legal net
thrown about them. Bill Kissane,
Lyman Cole and Andrew Findlay, the
men arrested, were indicted for forgery
in the first degree in having obtained
S6OlS from the Chemical Bank on forged
checks and again for having DeSten the
American Exchange Bank cut of SIP 900
on another forged check. The case was
dallied with by District Attorney Hall,
shifted from one court to another,
and Cole and Findlay were finally
for some reason allowed to go.
Kissane, less fortunate, was convicted
in the Court Of General Sessions and
brought before Recorder Follen for sen
teDCe. The recorder had determined, he |
afterward said, to impose the full term Of |
five years, but when arraigned Kissane, |
then sprightly young man, made such |
an able address fer l1uieDcy, pleading his |
youth, his good family cOnneC- |
tons, his previous good character
and presented all his points with such !
eloquence that the Recorder, affected by |
the harraEgue, reduced the intended sen
tence to two years and six months. OF !
this, the enterprising f0rger served but
nine months, when, by some influence,
the Governor was brought 10 grant par
don and he was released. For some years
after this no one in this part of the cOuu-
try head anything about the ex-forger
He had gone west, and that was all hat
was EuONu vi ullu, Dut - Tic DS8IQElDS |
of the civil war there was report, which
reached New York, that Kissane had
somehow struck it rich In Ohio, and was
doing q rushing business in steamboats,
nlying between points along the Ohio
river. Hardly had hisreport been digested
in New York and forging exploit had won
him name, and everybody had known
him or of him, when another and far diff
81
steamboat the Martha Washington, part
Of which Kissane owned, had been burned
to the waters edge st the wharf, and the
suggested an incendlary
The boat was heavily insured-too
heavily, it was thought, agd
Kissane wes arrested, but, after q long
the authorities failed to get
iefuite proof and he was finally dis
charged. He disappeared again, but after
Z lapse of further years turned up in a
rather startling manner out in Missouri.
He had made his home in q little settle
ment of that state, and as 8 farmer
lad begun to get along beautifully when
an unfortunate thing occurred. One of
MS neighbOrs one day had the temerity,
not knowing the pushing Kissane's re-
cord. TO quarrel with him and to de-
1OuuOC hin 1Ol HIS paw III HuCHtlOD&UlC |
money transactions. Early on the fol-
owing morning this incGutious man, or
rather his body, was found peacefully
wing at his door, with q bullet hole
through his head and not much that was
remaining in his establishment
Kissane, when they went to look for him,
lad renewed his old trick and diSap-
oeared, and to this day people of that
part have not laid eyes on him. This
was more of 8 lasting one
han either of the previous departures, land
t becomes the mission Of the press in this
;ity to make j. appear that the willy Kts-
'ane's last and flnsI disappearance into
he uncertainties of the hereafter is yet
20 be made. Before that gentleman had
made his first bow before an admiring
audience in this city he had been porn in
Ohio. His was an excellent, respected
am lily, and young Kissane was given
every possible opportunity to improve
lis mind and to prepare for
struggle for fame and {
ortune. He was so apt pupil that when
It'll youth he had identified himself
omewhat unpleasantly in the burning |
Town Of an establishment of Mr.. Francis l
BARR. Kissane had gone INFO business.
BARR was his successful rival, and Darr's
lace of business was destroyed. The /
tory of the recognition of
Iissane by General Darr many
ears afterwards in San Francisco
vas told in these dispatches. Kissane 3
ad changed his name, become wealthy,
married. and was one of the most respect !
d citizens of small city in California
)arr used many means to expose the
raud but failed. He stirred up Mr. K s.
ane, however, and that gentleman re- :
rendered with fear an uGqlsshed indict-
lent for forgery against him remained :.
mong the effects Of the New York Dis l
riot Attorneys Office. The Chemical Bank I
ase had never been disposed Of. He i
rev FESTIVE and anxious. Peace in his ;
Id age was in jeopardy. His anxiety :
Eliminated in the appearance the otner e
az in New York of San Francisco law
er, J. B. Hart, who, it is reported, asked
.eccrder Smythe to dismiss the ChemicalI
ank case, and the Recorder re- .
lsed to do il until the bank was b
card from. General DsrrE has a
'ritten to the District Attorney =
opposing such action. Thus :
lie matter rests. The assumed name of n